Just over a month ago, Idaho’s own Alex Adams was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Assistant Secretary for Family Support under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. During his all-too-short a time at the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, Adams shifted the agency’s focus away from promoting Covid boosters, hepatitis C testing, and sending tax dollars to woke nonprofits, and instead directed it toward improving Idaho’s foster care and adoption systems.
I was proud to name Adams the Gem State Chronicle’s 2024 Statesman of the Year for his work turning around that troubled department, and it was bittersweet when President Trump nominated him for a federal post.
It didn’t take long for Adams to make waves in D.C. Less than two weeks after his confirmation, he sent letters to social services agencies in New York, Vermont, Illinois, California, and Washington urging them to stop discriminating against potential foster parents who could not in good conscience affirm alternate gender identities. The existence of these letters was first reported by The Imprint, a pro-LGBTQ+ publication that claimed one in three foster youth identify as LGBTQ+.
Read the full letter sent to the New York Office of Children and Family Services below:
Imagine a confused teenager with no parents, no family, and nowhere to go. In states like New York, Washington, and California, the government mandates that such a child be placed with families that already affirm these alternate gender identities. Rather than receiving real help for issues such as gender dysphoria, these boys and girls may be pushed further down a pipeline that leads to drugs and irreversible surgeries. This is monstrous abuse at the hands of governments meant to protect citizens. Meanwhile, loving families that refuse to affirm that 2+2=5 are shut out of the system.
Kudos to Alex Adams for taking steps to protect these young people.
Earlier today, the White House announced a new executive order, spearheaded by First Lady Melania Trump, to expand resources and opportunities for foster youth. Part of the initiative will be carried out by Adams and the Administration for Children and Families:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): In addition to implementing the directives of the Fostering the Future Executive Order, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will also launch a Fostering the Future-aligned initiative to keep children safely with their families and reduce unnecessary entries into foster care while also increasing the availability of foster homes for children and youth. ACF will also announce a new pilot program to donate decommissioned federal laptops to youth in foster care to help bridge the digital divide and increase access to online resources that are critical for a successful transition to adulthood.
After signing the executive order, President Trump presented a pen to Assistant Secretary Adams:
Taking care of orphans and other children with nowhere to go is a noble mission. Both in Idaho and now in D.C., Alex Adams has focused on keeping children connected to their families whenever possible, while streamlining the process for families who wish to open their homes to these youth. We’ve come a long way from the Oliver Twist–style orphanages of the past, but the system still needs work.
I’m encouraged by what Adams has accomplished in less than six weeks on the job. If there are things the government should be doing—things that fall within its proper constitutional scope—then it ought to do them well. I’m eager to see what comes next.
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About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
